(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to operating pedal support structures disposed behind dashpanels of automobiles.
(2) Background Art
Generally, when an automobile collision (in particular, a forward collision) is about to occur, a driver brakes the automobile by stepping on a brake pedal in order to avoid this collision. Nevertheless, in many cases, the automobile does not stop and causes the collision with the driver stepping on the brake pedal.
In such a forward collision, a front body crushes while absorbing collision energy, and an engine disposed within an engine room moves backward while pushing a dashpanel that is located behind the engine to serve as a partition between the engine room and a cabin. In the front body, a brake master cylinder is provided in front of the dashpanel, and is connected via an operating rod to a brake pedal located behind the dashpanel. Thus, with the backward movement of the dashpanel (and the master cylinder), the brake pedal is also pushed and moved backward via the operating rod. As a result, a foot space for a driver becomes narrow, which brings about the situation where a steering column for supporting a steering wheel or other members are likely to interfere with a foot of the driver stepping on a pedal portion (i.e., a stepped-on portion) of the brake pedal.
Therefore, in order to reduce the impact that acts upon the foot of the driver, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient foot space when the dashpanel is deformed as described above. Specifically, if the movement of the pedal portion of the brake pedal toward the rear of the automobile body can be suppressed upon backward movement of the dashpanel, a large foot space can be maintained below a driver's seat irrespective of the deformation of the dashpanel.
In consideration of this, U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,971 discloses an automotive pedal support structure in which a pedal portion of an operating pedal such as a brake pedal is moved relatively toward the front of an automobile body when a dashpanel is deformed toward a cabin.
In this automotive pedal support structure, the operating pedal is supported to a pedal bracket fixed to the dashpanel such that the operating pedal can be swung forward and backward. And this automotive pedal support structure is provided with: a fastening mechanism for fastening the pedal bracket to the automobile body so that the pedal bracket can be detached toward the rear of the automobile body; and a guide mechanism for changing the position of the pedal bracket to cause the relative movement of the pedal portion of the operating pedal toward the front of the automobile body when the pedal bracket is moved relatively toward the rear of the automobile body.
This guide mechanism includes: a guide member fixed to a reinforcing member extended in a widthwise direction of the automobile body within an instrument panel; and an abutment member fixed to the pedal bracket. The abutment member is fastened to the guide member so as to be detachable backward, and is slidable on and in surface contact with a guide surface formed at the guide member. The guide surface is inclined to become lowered toward the rear of the automobile body.
Therefore, upon relative movement of the pedal bracket toward the rear of the automobile body caused by automobile collision, the abutment member of the pedal bracket starts sliding along the guide surface of the guide member. At the time when the abutment member has slid a predetermined distance, the fastening of the abutment member to the guide member, which is achieved by the fastening mechanism, is loosened. Then, the abutment member continues to slide along the guide surface, thus changing the position of the pedal bracket so as to cause the relative movement of the pedal portion of the operating pedal toward the front of the automobile body.
The front-side region of the guide surface is gently inclined so as to smoothly loosen the fastening of the abutment member to the guide member and so as not to increase a collision load applied to the reinforcing member, while the rear-side region of the guide surface is steeply inclined so as to greatly change the position of the pedal bracket.
However, the above-described pedal support structure requires a longitudinally elongated large-sized guide member whose guide surface varies in inclination. Nevertheless, a large number of interior trim articles such as meters and the like exist within an instrument panel that is provided with the guide member, and therefore, it is difficult to ensure a longitudinally enlarged installation space for the guide member.